Let's get married!
by Suffering Angel
Summary: It didn't matter to them it wasn't a promise they were meant to keep. Just that moment was enough to last them forever. Sequel to Eyed Don't Lie


I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

_**Let's get Married!**_

A great crowd; happy murmurs; loud church bells ringing and a beautiful white dress. The air filled with rice and flower petals as the masses parted, clearing a path for a couple that was as happy as happy could get. They waved as the woman threw back her bouquet, making all around (or more precisely, the girls) throw themselves at it in an all out attempt to grab at the holy artifact. One victor rejoiced while the others pulled away, granting the lucky girl evil, jealousy dripping glares. Nearby a lone woman stood, biting onto her handkerchief as she watched the departing couple with tearful, mournful eyes.

So much happiness, so much regret, yet before Xion could even begin to understand the event as it unfolded before her, Riku turned to head down the bell tower's stairs, making her soon follow.

–

"It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it?" The raven haired, black-clad girl let herself ask finally once the two left the large city towards the woods on its outskirts. "Everyone was dressed so fancily, so nicely. They seemed to be having such a good time."

The boy walked next to her silently, though there was a soft air of amusement to him.

"Did you ever get to see so many people?" He asked, and the girl seemed happier due to his show of interest.

"Nope. We were supposed to go 'undercover'. Being found, let alone by that many people, was against orders."

"Doesn't sound too different from what we did, though." Riku tried to counter, only to have the girl shake her head at him.

"We were never allowed to even watch like that for no good reason. Well, I wasn't, at least. So standing by to watch like that was never really an option."

He turned to look at her as though expecting any sort of resentment, but found none of that present. Instead, he found her smiling up at him.

"Watching it like we did, well, it was new."

He smiled back softly. "Glad you enjoyed it, then."

He was rewarded with a giggle and a nod of her head which sent her bangs tilting sideways. "Yup. I was really impressed! Whatever this _'Marriage'_ thing is, it must be really important!"

It took her half a dozen steps to realize he stopped a bit behind her, and she turned to look at him curiously.

"Riku?" Xion asked with a touch of worry. Riku on his part shook his head after a moment before offering her an awkward smile.

"Sorry, I just..." He sighed before shaking his head again. "Sometimes I forget you don't know about that sort of thing."

A solemn look crossed the girl's face before she forced a smile back on her lips. "They never bothered explaining those things. No point, they said." She trailed off for a moment before looking up at him with an earnest look in her eyes.

"Will _you_, Riku?"

It wasn't that he minded, really, neither explaining things nor answering her questions, which more fitted a toddler than someone looking like a girl in her mid-teens. He really, honestly didn't mind - so long as she asked about other things.

She didn't.

Riku felt his cheeks warming up and he had the urge to ask if he _had_ to, but another glance in the girl's direction made him take a deep, steadying breath.

He'd answer.

The question remained, however -

How.

"Marriage is... well..." He managed to begin and had to clear his throat, yet all Xion did was look at him with anticipation and eagerness. She really _was_ that innocent, wasn't she, Riku mused before smiling, his doubts lessening as he knew that no matter how badly he'd embarrass himself, she won't know she should've held it against him.

"It's a _promise_ between two people."

"A promise?" Xion echoed and moved to follow as Riku began walking again.

"Yeah. Some people call it an oath even." The teen continued and glanced down at the girl, only to look away a moment later. It was fine, so long as he didn't meet her wide eyes.

"It's something that shouldn't be broken. Something between those two people, between each other, before everyone they know... and, well, before _God_, I guess."

A tiny, awed gasp preceded Xion's voice. "Is it _that_ important?" She asked with such reverence that made Riku shift a bit uncomfortably.

"Well, most people think so." He tried to offer a non-committal response, only to have her lean forward as she tried to hunt his covered eyes.

"And _you_? What do _you_ think, Riku?"

There was an audible gulp there. "Well, I guess. Never been through it." How did they get to that, again?

Seemingly satisfied with that much for the time being, Xion turned away and crossed her arms, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"But... can it be _any_ promise? Or does it have to be a more specific one?"

He came to a stop again and she managed to see his cheeks redden in time before he looked away.

"It's... a specific, special promise."

Xion's excitement was building, but she managed to gulp and do little more, thankfully enough for Riku.

"What... kind of promise?"

Riku managed to smile in an awkward, sad manner, nothing like the bashful, embarrassed way she realized she was expecting.

"It's a promise for those two people to always be together. No matter how bad things get, no matter how sick either of them gets, no matter how little they have between them. They're going to be together, no matter what."

He realized he should've expected it, but he still had to blink behind his blindfold. The girl's cheeks were reddened and her eyes glittering and semi-tearful.

"That's... beautiful..."

Riku sighed. Xion really _was_ a girl despite it all, wasn't she?

"Is-" Xion chirped then, snapping Riku out of his train of thought. Her tone changed though, he realized, noticeably less admiring than before. Now it was a bit doubtful and a lot more _scared_.

"Is it really _forever_?"

She looked at him with such sudden despair, such need shining in her eyes that he couldn't help but regret his earlier phrasing.

"...probably not." He replied eventually and had to cringe at the way her eyes dimmed.

"...but-" He added then in an attempt to try and make things better again. "They _do_ say ''till death do us part', so..."

She looked up at him as though not fully understanding his words. Seeing how miserable she seemed, he felt his own confidence returning, if only for her sake.

"So it's good for the rest of your lives."

A long moment passed as the girl thought his words over. Many expressions crossed her face and he tried to make heads or tails of some, while others he knew better about. Eventually, thankfully, it seemed like she was no longer as lost.

"To be together as long as we live... for... as long as possible..." A soft sigh left her lips as she pondered the feel of those words over her tongue. "It really _is_ a special, wonderful promise..."

She glanced up at him, only to bashfully look away a moment later. "Really..."

A small hesitant nod was offered before Riku couldn't handle the awkwardness anymore. He turned to walk on, yet apparently the worst was yet to come.

"Riku, let's-"

Xion's voice came, uncertain at first yet laced with determination as the girl straightened up and looked intently up at Riku.

"Let's get married!"

There was an evident fault in his step and he stuttered as he turned to face her, both their cheeks painted.

"...'xcuse me?"

Xion wavered for a moment, yet regained her composure the next moment. "Let's get married! We're traveling together, right? We're trying to do the same thing, to figure things out _together_, right? So, so let's promise! Even without a crowd, even without, without _God_! Let's promise that the two of us will be together!"

There was a thundering pause, and Riku finally had the chance to get over his own embarrassment - it only because the girl's anxiousness and uneasiness were much greater. Her fists were clenched and held against her chest, and her shoulders were rocked by shivers. She kept trying to look up at him, only to look down again, as though fearing his answer. A single, long realization crept into his mind then, the inevitable one, really.

It meant that much to her, didn't it? Even though they only knew each other for so long, to have any sort of reassurance that she won't lose what little she had left, to know that at least _someone_ out there, regardless of anything, won't give up one her, forever...

He realized then he didn't mind it at all, how she was practically forcing his hand.

After all...

"After all, my 'forever' is-"

The rest of the sentence was cut short. She blinked instead as she watched Riku kneel by the bushes nearby, where there was a tiny flower bed sprouting. Choosing the healthiest, prettiest one he picked it, along with several radiant green leaves from the bush. Xion was left to blink at him in confusion as Riku returned with the mess transformed, held carefully in his - to her surprise - ungloved hands. His gloves stuck clumsily out of his pocket, but Riku didn't seem to mind much, instead far more interested in the condition of what was apparently a make-shift ring.

"It's-" He began what he hoped would be an adequate explanation, seeing the awkward, confused look on her face. "-part of the ceremony."

A tiny 'oh' sound left Xion's lips and she was about to raise her right hand -

"The other one."

Another 'oh' sound followed, and soon enough Xion had her ungloved left hand offered for Riku to take. A small smile decorating his lips, Riku reached to take her hand, and for a short moment found himself stalling.

Why did it seem like her hands were so small? He knew the difference in their statures well enough, but her hands still seemed so fragile... They never seemed like it with her gloves on...

Ah; so this was what she was really like...

He didn't stall for long enough to let her ask what was wrong. As soon as Xion parted her lips, Riku finally regained his resolve. Both's eyes were set on Xion's hand as the make-shift ring was put in place, but once the deed was done, Riku realize he could only pull back one of his hands; Xion was tightly holding onto his other.

"It's pretty." The girl uttered as she examined the delicate vines.

"Ah." The boy uttered absently, only to blink when Xion looked up at him, her eyes wide and bright, almost as much as her blush. "Are we... well, _are_ we-"

"I-" He interjected as soon as he realized what she was about to say. Next came along a moment of stuttering and Riku eventually looked away with a pink face.

"I guess..."

He returned his attention to her at the feel of her glove over his skin and realized she was now holding his hand with the both of hers. She ran her fingers over his, over his palm and wrist, and giggled when the ticklish treatment made his fingers twitch.

"Your hand's big." Xion offered with another giggle, but Riku didn't have the time to respond as next he felt the skin on her face as she held his hand against her cheek. A bashful smile played over her lips as she pressed her ring-adorned hand over his and let their fingers interlace.

"Warm, too."

A soft, somewhat forlorn expression rose to Riku's face at the fond, warm tone. He couldn't really help it when he let out a tiny sigh as he ran his thumb under her eye. He didn't mind it when he saw her eyes close, nor when she leaned against his hand, nor when he felt her cheek warm up against his palm.

"So warm..."

He didn't mind if she stalled, if she wanted to prolong the moment, or even if they really were 'married'.

If it put her a bit more at ease, if it cleared her mind by even a bit, if it made this poor girl just a bit, a tiny bit happier, he didn't mind.

"So're you."

And he didn't mind her smile at his tiniest slip of the tongue.

After all, her 'Forever' wasn't to last all that very long.


End file.
